The absence of an explicit order from the Health Department or Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, restraining the use of the ‘Maharishi Charak Shapath’ instead of the traditional Hippocratic Oath, as recommended by the National Medical Commission, could have led to the bungling during the ‘white coat ceremony’ at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, according to a senior doctor.
Though the Dean, A. Rathinavel, has denied knowledge of the new oath being proposed in the schedule of the ceremony, officials say the Dean alone could not be held responsible.
"Only an inquiry with all the officials and students who had organised the event would reveal what went wrong," the doctor said.
Though the modified oath was also taken in English, it would have gone unnoticed, but for a passing reference made at the function by Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, expressing shock over the new oath.
"I was quite shocked when I saw the new oath. I always thought that doctors all over the world took the Hippocratic Oath," he said while addressing the gathering.
He was quick to add that he had been recommending that politicians also take the same (Hippocratic) oath. When he said, "First do no harm...even if you are a politician," the gathering burst into laughter.
The Minister was all praise for Dr. Rathinavel.
While explaining how the collective effort of the Ministers and officials helped in drastically reducing the number of COVID-19 patients and improving the infrastructure at GRH during the second wave of the pandemic, he said the new Dean was brought in then. However, within 24 hours after the function, the Dean had to face the axe.
A senior doctor attributed the snowballing of the controversy to the presence of VIPs at the white coat ceremony. " Usually, it would not attract any VIP, and would be a very solemn function in which only the medical college faculty and freshers and their parents would participate. But since the 2018 batch of students were keen on having VIPs at the event, it got such attention," the doctor said.
